In Loco Parentis
by DeductionIsKey
Summary: Spider-Man does not panic. Spider-Man looks at a situation, finds a solution, and applies it. Peter Parker on the other hand.. Peter Parker was messed. - Peter flicked through the shows, stopping at the picture of a iron throne. "Can we watch Games Of Thrones? I haven't watched it a-" "No." Tony made a lunge for the remote. "That's mature adult. Even I can't watch it."
1. Chapter 1

Spider-Man does not panic. Spider-Man looks at a situation, finds a solution, and applies it. Peter Parker on the other hand..

1.

Peter Parker was messed. Thoroughly, utterly messed. He stared at the indent in his backpack where his Arithmetic book was supposed to be. The slightly worn gray textbook had been transported to Mr. Stark's house that night, when a particularly hard math question had been presented as homework. A little whiles afterward, just when Peter was writing down the answer, FRIDAY had informed them that a crime was occurring down in the streets of Queens. Tony had waved him off, saying he would finish the problem and he could get it once he was done. In the excitement of the moment however, Peter had forgotten to grab his book from Stark (Technically 'Avengers', but Peter liked Stark much better, seeing as practically all the others had left Tony.) Tower that night.

"Ned! Ned!" Peter rushed to catch up to the other boy, grabbing his green sleeve momentarily. Ned looked up from his locker, collecting his things while listening to Peter. "Do you have an Arithmetic book I can borrow?" Ned shook his head and frowned. "Sorry," He said apologetically. "I already told MJ I'd let her borrow mine." He shivered, looking toward the back of the girl in question. "Do you want to ask her?"

Peter shook his head a bit fast, lowering his voice to whisper, "She's kind of intense, you know?" Ned nodded, grabbing the rest of his things and closing his locker door.

"So where's yours man?" He asked, making his way through the crowded hallway, apologizing to the people who turned to stare at him in anger as he bumped into them.

Peter looked around. "Stark Tower." He whispered, causing Ned to look at him with a childlike wonder. "Just when I get used to you being all spidery." He waved his hands for emphasis. "You spring that on me." He gasped, than whined in a tone of displeasure. "Did he help you with your homework? No fair." He grabbed Peter's shoulder, his tone changing to one of dead seriousness. "Can I check my answers with your sheet? Please!"

Peter rolled his eyes, moving his backpack out of Ned's reach. "I don't have it here." He said, shoving Ned's hand away. "I told you I left it at Mr. Stark's place."

"Hey, Parker!" Peter turned, wincing as he realized who had called him from the halls. "You left your book at Tony Stark's house?" Flash leered, other people turning to Peter with a 'Are you Serious?' eyebrow raised.

Flash made his way to him with a degrading grin, clasping Ned's arm rather unnecessarily. "Maybe you should just call him up then." He let go of Ned, scoffing as he walked away.

"Tony Stark, wow Parker, how original."

Later in the day in Maths class, Peter once again looked at his backpack with a grimace. "This is ridiculous! How could I forget it?"

"Please take all the assigned homework and deposit it at my desk in the bin, please." Ms. Dether says, seating herself with a smile toward her pupils. "Role-call with be combined with the handing in."

"Flash Thompson: Here. Homework? Thank you."

"Michelle Jones? Yes, thank you."

"Ned Leeds? Hopefully better than last time, right? Yes."

"Peter Parker, here. Where's your homework?" Ms. Dether frowns, marking the sheet of students. "You're usually so good about this, Peter." Peter winced, opening his mouth to explain.

"Well, I- Um-" He nervously chuckled, rubbing his neck with his hand with a sheepish expression. "I didn't me-"

Ms. Dether's frown deepens and she brought her hands to her chest in a cross gesture. "I'm just going to have to-"

"Peter!" Peter turned to the now closed door, staring at the figure with disbelief. Mr. Stark stood there with a smug expression gazing at the jaw-slaken class. "Hey, kid." He held out Peter's textbook. "Try not to look so shocked."

"Mr. Stark?" Peter choked, grabbing his textbook and holding it like a life-line. "Um- uh. What are you, um, what are you doing here?"

"Call me Tony, I've told you." He gestured over to Ms. Dether and the silent class. "Well I was on my way to a terrible and dull meeting with some important people, when I saw your book you left down in the lab." He grinned, hearing the teacher draw in a strangled breath. "So, I ditched the meeting to bring this." Peter was just about to articulate another terribly illiterate sentence with Mr. Stark's starkPhone rang. Mr. Stark rolled his eyes, drawing his phone out of his ridiculously expensive suit.

"Look," He said as he pressed 'accept'. "I don't care if it's the president- oh it is, I don't care!" He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll be there." He looked at Peter with a resigned expression. "I have to go." He looked at Ms. Dether and winked. "Nice to meet you all." He left out the shabby door, as quickly as he had came.

"So, um. I have my homework?" Ms. Dether's hysterical laugh said enough.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

It was, ironically, the first shock that caused the second.

"We here at Midtown High will not tolerate lies, Mr. Parker." The Principal said, drawing his hands onto the desk and framing Peter with a look of disappointment. "This lie going around, preposterous as it is, will not be allowed to continue." He sniffed.

"The unbelievable rumor is going around that you here are personal 'buddies' " He lifted up his hands to make sarcastic air-quotes. "With a very well-known celebrity, Tony Stark."

Peter's eyebrows shot up, a fake laugh escaping him. "What a- um- terrible thing to propose, Principal Davis." He ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "I.. uh."

"Do not 'play' me, Mr. Parker." Principal Davis said. "You've even got your lovely Maths teacher, Ms. Dether, in on it." He halfheartedly threw his hands in the air. He once again looked at Peter with a sigh, as if wondering what to do with him.

"For this obvious offense to the school's expenses, and the intergrity of one of our best teachers, I must insist you serve Detention after school for the duration of two days. I will also be talking to your Aunt about this."

Peter spluttered. "But, plea-"

"Dismissed."

"That's rough, man." Ned said sympathetically as they walked to Peter's house. "And he didn't even let you get a word in?"

Peter shook his head, screwing up his face to form a bad impression of Principal Davis. "I'm Principal Andrew Davis and I love Ms. Dether. And even if -America Forbid- Peter Parker's telling the truth, then explain why Tony Stark hasn't donated his life's fundings to Midtown High?"

Ned laughed, clapping Peter on the back. "So, what'd you going to do, man? You know May has that cooking class thing this week."

Peter nodded, glancing down at his phone. "I don't know.. I'll figure it out."

Ned gasped, grabbing Peter's arm enthusiastically. "Peter! You should have Stark come!"

He grinned, just thinking about it. "It would be so cool! Davis would be shocked, of course, and- oh you should!" Peter shrugged, "I don't know.."

"You what!" Peter hissed to Ned while they were waiting for Davis to call Peter and the absent Aunt May in.

"I took your phone and called Mr. Stark so he could come." Ned looked at Peter and frowned. "Pete, I'm your friend. And if I can get you out of trouble, I will. So there."

Peter's frowned lessened some, but he realized something. "How did you get in? My phone's locked."

Ned grinned. "SpideryIsAwesome is a really bad password."

"So, Peter, where exactly is your Aunt? I thought we agreed to meet here tonight." Mr. Davis said, looking like he had expected this. "I guess I'll hav-"

"So sorry I'm late." Once again, Tony Stark was nothing without an entrance. "Got caught up with a- uh, thing. Yeah." He looked over to the gaping teacher. "Why, hello, Principal, Davis? Oh yes, Principal Davis. Peter's told me all about what an ass you are."

That shook Peter back to his senses, looking over to Mr. Davis with a desperate expression. "I didn't- he's- Ugh."

"So, I trust this is all resolved, correct?" Mr. Stark said, smiling pleasantly at Mr. Davis. He nodded dumbly, still staring at Tony with disbelief.

It was all Peter could do not to bang his head on the table.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

Did he mention how much he hates Flash? Because he does.

It had gotten better since the Maths incident, people snuffing up to Peter like magnets, wishing to earn a favour or maybe an autograph from the legendary Tony Stark. Peter had basically given up on making friends, due to the fact that all the people he meets now want something from him. The friends he had before, Michelle and Ned, were pretty much his go-to people to hang out with when he was 'Spidering.'

Flash had pretty much stayed away, his lip curling in disgust every time he even looked at Peter. The snide comments had diminished though, and he barely looked at him in decathlon practice. Peter wasn't sure it is was an improvement yet, due to the fact that Flash wasn't the type to just give up after a silly rumor.

After the incident at the Mr. Davis' office, it was becoming difficult to just be _Peter_. And it was getting annoying.

"Hey, um, Peter right?" A girl asked, sitting down at the opposite chair in the lunch cafeteria where Peter was eating with Ned. "Uh, my friends like, dared me to get a picture with a you..and. Um." She shrugged nervously, her face flushing. "This is ridiculous." She gestured vaguely to her friends. "I'm just going to go.." She made a move to go, her blue shirt twisting as she moved from the bench seat. "Well, b-"

"It's okay." Peter said in a low voice, his face flitting into a temporary smile. "Here." He gestured for her phone and she approached nervously, shifted her worn sneakers. "T-thanks." She said stuttering.

"Yeah." Peter said, watching her walk away after a successful photo. "Yeah."

Peter didn't see Tony for a while.

He'd heard some rumours about Tony taking incognitive trips to Wakanda, the press speculating but having no proof that he was visiting Captain America. After three visits there, and FRIDAY informing his via mobile that 'Boss is advised to seek help. Signs of depression and insomnia present.' Peter decided to pay the Tower a little visit.

"Hey, FRIDAY? Which floor is Tony on?" A bright voice echoed around him, feminine touches present in it.

"Sir is not presently here, but he is scheduled to be present in less than an hour, Mr. Parker." Peter nodded. "Thanks, FRIDAY. I'll just go to the living room than?" He didn't know his way around the tower yet, and he doubted it as just something that he thinks he'll probably get after 2 years or something like that. It wasn't the fault the thing was _huge._

"Yes, sir." The elevator Peter had just stepped into rose steadily, the metal casing glittering as cheesy music played from the speaker.

"You have a selection of certain Music Genres collected for you, Mr. Parker. Sir has included Pop, Rock, and-"

"It's okay, FRIDAY." Peter said, groaning slightly. "It's bloody elevator. It takes like 2 minutes."

"As you wish, sir."

"So this is fancy." Peter said, stepping out of the elevator to reveal a living room with a bar to the right of the display. "I'll just wait here." He sat down on the plush black couch, staring at the elaborate decorations Mr. Stark had put up. There was the normal pictures, of Tony and his old butler Jarvis-the-real-person-not-the-unfortunately-absorbed-one. Peter still had to work on the name. There was a picture of what looking like Tony has a teenage with Colonel Rhodes, his judging coming in beard trimmed and combed for all it's worth. There wa- but than Peter realised something. He'd been into the Towers living room before and they were all decorated with materialistic things, like Vases and paintings. To have personal picture up…

"Hey, FRIDAY, how many living rooms are there?" Peter said, his stomach sinking. Mr. Stark was going to be _so mad,_ Peter had just trespassed into his personal space and _nonono_.

"There are currently over 5 living rooms in this complex, Mr. Parker."

 _Carpcarpcarpcarp. "_ I am so dead." Peter muttered wringing his hair with his hands. "I've got to go dow-"

"Hello." Peter spun around to find a floating red man looking at him, a slight smile creeped on his face.

"I am Vision. And you?"

"Uhh. Peter?" It came out a question, with a slight squeak at the end.

"Hello, Peter. Forgive me for intruding but I must inquire your business in this entertainment room." Peter spluttering his hair trundled by his constant brushing through it with his nervous hands. "Oh, I just wanted to talk to Mr. Stark about my suit and-" Too late, Peter realised his mistake. Expecting a freak out from the young android, he chuckled nervously, trying to play it off. "I mean.. my internship with him. Duh. I-" Dang he was bad at lying.

Vision smiled, putting up his hands in some sort of peace treaty. "I am aware you are Spider-Man, Mr. Parker. Tony has spoken about you before on several occasions, and while not saying it, it is not hard to see the parallels between the intern he has taken under his guidance and the young spider. Your secret has been safe with me." Peter gaped. "Really?"

Vision laughed slightly, his smile widening just a bit. "Yes, Mr. Parker." He gestured to the seat, his hand resting momentarily on the couch. "Do you mind?" He asked, watching as Peter shook his head. "Many thanks." He sat himself down, about 3 feet away from Peter.

"The New Sokovia Accords almost included Spider-Man." Vision said, startling Peter. "Really?" He asked again, feeling like a parrot.

Vision nodded. "Yes." He said. "But Tony managed to convince Ross that you are capable without such a restriction. He certainly helped your reputation amongst the government." As Peter just stared, Vision launched into the story of Tony's detailed assessment of Peter worthiness.

45 minutes later, when Tony showed up, cold and tired, with big bags under his eyes, he was not expecting the enthusiastic hug he got as he exited the elevator. But that's not to say he wasn't adverse to it either.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

When the time came for school, Peter was _not_ ready for school. He had stayed with Mr. Stark until the wee hours in the morning, tinkering and basically talking about nothing and everything. Peter ignored the bloodshot eyes and broken signs that escaped Tony, and Tony ignored the reason Peter had come to the tower at the first place.

Tony had eventually fallen asleep, his head slumping on the desk while Peter watched worriedly. FRIDAY informed Peter that Tony hadn't slept in over 4 days, and confirmed that Mr. Stark had been in contact with Captain America lately.

Peter had sighed at that, wondering what he was going to do about Mr. Stark's growing insomnia. Maybe if h-

"Sir, I regret to inform you, but Mr. Stark has programmed me to manually exit you from the building on weekdays if not informed beforehand." FRIDAY certainly did sound apologetic, if an AI could. Peter nodded to the disemboweled voice. "Okay."

"Hey, um, FRIDAY?" Peter had a suspicion on what Tony had named this order. "What's this protocol called?"

No answer.

"FRIDAY?"

"Spider's Bedtime." FRIDAY answered reluctantly.

"So, kid, what should we watch?" Peter shrugged, sitting himself down on the couch that he and Vision had spoken on. "Um, do you have HBO?"

Tony laughed, watching as Peter blushed as he realizes his mistake. "I mean- can I have the remote?" Tony nodded, still chuckling. "Yeah."

Peter flicked through the shows, stopping at the picture of a iron throne. "Can we watch Games Of Thrones? I haven't watched it a-"

"No." Tony made a lunge for the remote. "That's mature adult. Even I can't watch it." Peter rolled his eyes, holding the remote above his head. "Please?"

Tony groaned, missing the remote once again. "Eh. Better than Dexter."

"What's Dexter?"

"Nothing kid."

"Hey, Mr. Stark!" Peter jumped out of the chair he was sitting in, looking at Tony with a bright expression. "I got a gift for you." Tony nodded, setting down a black flip-phone and looking at Peter. "What, kid?" His voice sounded hoarse, but Peter subtly ignored that. "Over here." Peter gestured closer to the couch patting it. "Come sit down." He mischiefly grinned. Tony sat. "Now, what?"

"Ow! Peter, get back here!" Tony stared at his hair that was covered in purple silly string and the presiding bag next to him. He tugged it open to see two cans on silly string, one green, one blue. "Oh, it's on." He growled, grabbing both. "I going to get you, Parker!"

"Um.. Peter?" Ned nudged him as they walked into the school the following Monday. "Why's everyone staring at us?" Since the 'Stark Cameo' as the school was calling it, people would stare. But never like this.

"Mr. Parker! So glad to see you, truly a fabulous gift you've given us, we will make good use of it."

The Principal grasped Peter's hand briefly and then rushed off, with a high hearty chuckle.

"Um.. what?" Ned stared at the retreating figure with astonishment. "Wow, Peter, what'd you give them?" Peter shook his head with a bewildered expression. "I don't know."

"Hey, Parker!" Peter groaned. "What Flash?" Flash grinned, looking smug, his face crunching into and expression of hate. "Thanks for your mentor donation of _five million dollars_ to Midtown High. I'm sure they'll put that to good use." He laughed, pushing past a shocked Ned, and walking away

Peter squeaked, his voice reaching a new high point. "What did Flash do?" He asked Ned, rushing toward the direction of the retreating Flash.

"What did you do, Flash?" He hissed, his hair disheveled. Flash shrugged, his grin still planted on his face. "Oh, well yesterday a messenger from _Mister Tony Stark_ ," He raised his voice to a obviously fake feminine one. "To drop a special donation to Midtown High, but the check hasn't worked yet." He looked at Peter patronizing. "I wonder why this? But, oh, it will, because Tony Stark 'cares' about Peter Parker. He's like his 'dad', loving him." Flash scoffed.

"Like you know about your father caring, Flash." Ned snapped, not having anything else come to his mind in the name of insults. Peter shot a look toward Ned, with a 'Really? That's the best you can come up?' written on his face. Ned shrugged, looking toward Flash to fire another insult, but Flash had froze with a look of terror on his face.

"Where did you hear that! Tell me!" He demanded of Ned, but that shook his head and turned toward Peter with a new fury. "That five million dollar donation 'Tony Stark' donated won't ever go through, because Stark _doesn't care._ You'll be humiliated." He growled, pushing Ned unnessarily hard and glaring at anyone who came close to him.

"Hey uh, Happy?" Peter said as he heard the phone ask him to leave a message. "Well, I- I kind of not really maybe, in a scrap of trouble with my school, which may involve Mr. Stark and millions of dollars- uh." Peter could almost hear Happy's panic when he'd listen to this message. "You know what? Don't freak out.. Just- call me. Yeah. Thanks." He hung up, flopping on his bed as he stared at the ceiling wondering how he was going to get out of this mess. "Hey, Aunt May! When's dinner rea-"

Peter looked down to find his phone ringing with 'Happy Hogan' as the name. He pressed accept, bringing the phone to his ear. "Yeah?"

"Ow! Don't yell! I did not say 100 million." Peter winced, the noise from the phone spiking his enhanced hearing. "I just said 'millions of dollars'. It's only five." The volume rose.

"But it's better than 100!"

"So you got in trouble kid, big deal." Tony waved away Peter's shocked face. "It's five million dollars!" Peter said, waving his hands for enthusiasm. "Five!"

"It's fine, I could make that in my sleep." Mr. Stark grinned slightly, his lip upturning. "Just try not to do this all the time, yeah?"

Peter nodded, still looking terrible at the thought. "How does- thank you so much Mr. Stark, I'll make it up to you, I promise!" He grabbed his backpack and got out of the car, practically skipping.

"You already have." Tony said to the empty car, his voice echoing.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

Peter sucked at _not_ getting shot by the good guys. He couldn't immobilize their guns, seeing as they were fighting the bad guys too -He really needed a new vocabulary he realized- and they kind of needed them, but he also was busying dodging the frightened trigger-happy recruits who shot at the _obviously friendly_ red projectile that was swinging toward them at a fast speed. Okay, so maybe he would shoot to, but that doesn't excuse all the unnecessary First Aid supplies he'd wasted on all those scared cops.

"I totally deserved a weekly reimbursement." He muttered as he swung through the towers of New York. "I should get an annual giant gift basket for my 'duties to New York' with like, casks and pain pills." He dodged some of the iron grating that obscured his path.

"Or maybe like a scholarship to Cambridge or something." He winced as he passed a fighting couple. "Ouch. Well, Cambridge is England, right? Eh."

Peter groaned, his oral frustrations echoing as he sprang. "Come on, criminals! Get up your act." He landed on the side of one building, crawling up to the top and flipping onto the roof. "I have homework to do too." He mumbled, fumbling with his watch and cursing when he saw what time is was. "Dang. Okay, let's go."

"Hey, kid." Mr. Starks voice came to greet Peter as he crawled deftly into his window. "So, I'm guessing this is how the Ned kid found out?" Peter dropped to the floor in surprise, sputtering. "Um. Hi?"

Mr. Stark, seeing his look of confusion, gestured to the scrappy bed. "Ugh. I am so getting you a new bed." Peter sat down, as Tony's face suddenly lit up. "You know what, kid? Come on."

"Uh, why are we at Hobby Lobby?" Peter asked as they pulled up to the garnish store.

Tony rolled his eyes like it was obvious. "I'm getting you new things for your room. I ordered you a new bed on our way here." Peter choked. "What?" He said faintly.

Mr. Stark sighed like this was all obvious and that he hadn't just proposed to refurbish Peter's _entire room._ "New things, Mr. Parker. Let's go." Peter followed silently, his mind blanking.

"Do you like Doctor Who?" Tony asked as he held up a TARDIS figure. "Um. Yeah?" It came out as a squeak, an insult to his growing manhood, Peter thought.

"Good, kid. You'd better like Doctor Who. You're no child of mine if you don't."

"But Mr. Stark, I'm not-"

"Hush, kid."

"Oo, look, a Iron Man lamp. I'm so getting this for you."

"Wow, Mr. Stark."

"Who's paying for this, kid?"

Tony snorted as he beheld a picture of what an artist had depicted Peter under the mask, a African-American female with harsh features and a jutting jaw.

"Hey Peter, she totally captured your likeness." Peter flipped him the bird.

"Oi! None of that, young child."

"The total of this transaction is $328.15, Sir." The lady said looking down at the cash register. "Please sig-" It ended with a strangled breath as she realised it was Tony Stark. "Please sign here." She said faintly, and then bent down to get her purse -an autograph most likely- Tony bent his head toward her figure, opening his mouth to p-

"Ow! Peter! Watch it." Peter smiled smugly as the lady come up being none the wiser, holding notebook and pen, smiling shyly.

"Just for that kid, I'm getting that poster of Spider-Man." Tony warned Peter as they walked to the car with Happy. "Happy early birthday present." Peter groaned, though he was smiling brightly all the while.

"Best Buy? Oh, Mr. Stark I can't-"

"Get in there, kid."

"That was- that was great." Peter said breathlessly as they road back to his house. "Thanks so much, Mr. Stark."

Tony waved his thanks away. "You don't have to thank me. It was just so my eyes don't bleed when I go in your room." But he was smiling.

"So, I'll have a some people come over to drop the rest of the stuff off and trash that dirty rag of a bed tomorrow, Peter." Tony said as they pulled up to his house. Peter nodded faintly, still shocked about the whole thing. "I'll help Happy bring in the stuff with you."

Happy choked. "What was that sir?" He said innocently. "You're helping with something?"

"Don't push it Hogan."

"Hey, Ned!" Peter drew next to Ned the next day at school practically vibrating with excitement. "You will not believe what happened yesterday. You should come over to my house ton-"

"Parkers having a party at his house tonight?" Flash said loudly causing people to look at Peter with a hopeful eye, trying to be invited. "Wait n-"

"And everyone's invited?" Flash said louder.

Peter groaned.

"So, the chips are in the fridge," Aunt May said, looking a thousand times more excited than Peter. "And there's some pop too, as well as- you know what? Just have fun." She pulled him into a hug. "And use safety okay?"

"Aunt May!"

"Oh jeez." Peter said as dozens of people came to his house. "This house is so tiny! How are people going to even fit in here."

He leans on the fridge as people swarm in, the house getting more and more crowded. "Ugh, Flash." His phone ringing, Peter opens his bag flimsily, causing half its contents to flow out onto the floor. He cursed, pressing the green button on the phone while bending down.

"Now, nice to know you're happy to hear from me, Mr. Parker." Tony's voice filled the speaker as Peter cleaned up the last things off the floor. Peter blushed, grabbing the phone from the counter. "I didn't mean- Sorry- I-"

"Relax, kid. I'm messing with you." Once again the amused tone filled the speaker. "So a party, huh? At your house? I'll be there in a second, kid."

"But, Mr. Stark-!" All that met Peters cries for was the fail tone.

"So, Parker, where's Tony Stark?" Flash sneered as he walked into the already crowded house. Peter scowled.

"Well,"

"Right here as a matter of fact young man." Tony grinned at the stunned crowd. "Hello, again. How about you lot come to the Tower? I'm bored and I brought pizza."

The next day the rumours around the school made anyone who hadn't come to Peter's party swell with envy at the trinkets and autographs people had brought back, but surprisingly, or perhaps not, there wasn't many people who hadn't come, and the jealous ones happen to be the teachers.


	6. Chapter 6

+1

Steve Rogers has moved into Stark Tower. Suddenly, all the late night calls, red eyes, and overworking made sense to Peter. Tony had stretched thin with all the planning of Captain America and his 'refugees' coming back to New York. All the lawyers they would need for their official pardon alone must have taken forever to hire and brief. Sure, Tony had people for it, but by the look of things, they weren't doing a very good job.

Ever since the 'five million dollar' incident, Tony had been taken Peter out constantly, like it was his fault that Peter almost got humiliated and it wasn't like _Tony had paid five million bloody dollars_ to pay Peter's stupidity. Happy was growing steadily more worried as well, Peter could tell.

Peter sighed as he picked up another article of clothing from the floor, Aunt May finally convincing him to clean up his room. He wrinkled his nose at the sight under his bed, more technical doodas under these, the spare piece glittering with the combined combination of sun and dust. Reaching his hand under tentatively, Peter was surprised to find a shiny piece of Stark material. He looked it over, crawling out from under the creaky bed. It was one of his new web shooter, half-finished. He aimed a shoot at his bed and gasped as the web shot out with incredible speed. Making his decision, Peter strubbed shortly over to his door, racing out the main door with a "Bye, May!"

"I wonder what this thing is." Peter said out loud as he released another web. "It's like my web shooters, but with a rhino forcing thing." He scoffed. "Wow, what an eloquent sentence, Parker." He leapt down to one of the alleys, dodging a hissing cat that had taken a swig at him. "Oi! What the suit, kitty."

Peter got changed into his highly _un_ impressive clothing, just in cause Mr. Stark wasn't alone. He'd learned to keep his indenity more of a secret since Ned and Vision. Hopefully.

"Hey, uh. Peter Parker, intern?" It was awkward walking in through the front door, Peter decided, watching people come and go with a certain system of productivity.

"We don't appear to have you in our list, Mr. Parker." The employee looked him over with a suspicious eye. "I am going to have to ask you to e-"

"Mr. Parker is on the list of Mr. Starks appointments, Ms. Egroy. Mr. Stark has neglected to inform his assistant however. My apologies." FRIDAY's voice planned through the speaker. Ms. Egroy sniffed, still looking at Peter scrutinisingly. "Fine." She said at last, removing her gaze off the fidgeting boy. "Go in."

Peter practically raced to the elevator.

"Thanks, FRIDAY." He said as the elevator went up to the living room Vision had found him in. "I'd thought she'd kill me with just her glare."

"Of course, Mr. Parker." FRIDAY sounded amused. "I will remind Mr. Stark to make you an ID for when you are in normal attire."

"I like to think of it more as my casual wear."

"Of course, Mr. Parker."

"Hey, Mr. Stark. I was just cleaning my room -which I do, by the way- and I found this-" Peter finally looked up at a couch from the _obviously not alone Tony and is that Theavengerswhat._ He faltered, blushing red right away. "thing. I'm just going to- uh.." He took in the obviously shocked faces of Tony's former teammates and gulped. He waved at Vision, the only one smiling serily.

"Hey, Vision." He waved, a short desperate gesture. Vision's smile widened. "Hello, young Parker. It's a pleasure to see you again." Peter nodded dumbly.

"So.. um." Tony finally got out of his stupor. "Peter Parker, Avengers. Avengers, Peter Parker." Looking back at Tony and seeing his tired expression knocked something in Peter that had been building in the last month of Mr. Stark being stressed. "Hi?"

The Avengers -Oh my carp how is this my life- nodded. "Hello." Steve Rogers said, smiling at Peter and than frowned slightly in Tony's direction like Tony was corrupting him. Peter frowned as well.

"Can I just go down to the lab?" Peter asked. "I got a new book on the details of an eukaryotic cell, and it's quiet dow-" He once again trailed off at the looks he was getting from the team.

"Uh, sure, kid. You know the code." The looks doubled, Hawkeye interrupting to point out wildly. "You let him in to your _lab?_ Mister 'I don't give my code out to my 15 year old friend Rhodes'?" Tony glared, looking back to Peter and blatantly ignoring Hawkeye.

"Your friend, uh, Flash? He's a terrible DJ." Peter laughed, short and happy. "I know."

He knocked his head, drawing his backpack to his front with groan. "Oh, yes. This was the reason I came." Tony stared suspiciously at the bag, not yet reaching to open it. "If this is silly string again.." He trailed off threateningly. Peter shook his head, smiling. "Nah."

Tony unzipped the bag, still looking skeptically at the bag. Peter pointed at the half finished web shooter in the dark bag. "Oh. That." He clapped Peter on the back and nodded. "Yeah, you can go to the lab. I'll finish that later with you. Wait." He paused, quirking his eyebrow. "Did you get your homework done?"

A choking noise was heard behind them and Peter looked back to find Captain America looking flushed. He rolled his eyes, looking back to Tony, who was gazing at him expectantly. "Yeah, yeah."

Tony nodded. "Okay, kid. Get out of here."

"What the heck was that, Tony?" Hawkeye scoffed as Peter left the room. "That your illegitimate child from one of your shags?" Tony glared. "No. Peter's not. He's a good kid though, so if you're rude, I will kick you out."

Steve, still looking quite flushed in the face, faced Tony. "So.. he's a- what? Your cousin?"

"I don't have relatives, Rogers. Peter's from Queens." He looked over to the only person in the bloody room that was curious but not abrasive.

"Hey, Bruce? Expect that kid to fan girl over you, we went to Hobby Lobby and he told me-"

"You went where?" Natasha said incredulously.

"... Hobby Lobby." Tony said, with a slight blush on his features. "I had to get the kid stuff for his room." He rolled his eyes at their faces. "You should have seen it. I almost threw up with I saw the decor." His face hardened. "I have somewhere to be. Make yourself settled." And with that abrupt and unexpected mood shift, he walked to the elevator without so much as a goodbye.

Steve had made mistakes. He knew this, had thought he'd moved on from the Accords. He was doing what was right for the people, for himself and Bucky. Tony already was self-involved and wouldn't think about the people's wellbeing until it was too late. He'd accepted that just as much as he accepted that Tony and him would never have any sort of relationship again, at least not what they had before. But now, seeing that teenager from Queens, he thought again.

When he does had seen Peter, he'd thought maybe he was an intern, one Tony had pretended to dote on only to dump after he got bored a little while later. But seeming Tony's face light up as he heard that young voice fill the living room they resided in and his fond exasperation at Peter's embarrassment, reminds Steve of a certain couple in 1920 Brooklyn.

Of course it was more maternal than that, holding a sternness that Buck had never possessed. But there was enough raw emotion, enough _caring_ in Tony's gaze to make Steve question Tony's selfishness.

"What Game of Thrones?" Steve asked as the team sat down to a tension filled movie night. Peter was still there, wrapped in an Iron-Man blanket and seemingly at ease with several superheroes in the room. He didn't even blink when Steve had accidentally crumpled a metal jug he'd been thrown. Just grinned and cuched a new one.

"Oh, it's a show Peter and I've been watching. We're on the end of season one right now." Tony framed Peter with a glare. "We've had to skip some parts." Peter rolled his eyes as Steve looked on in confusion. He'd never seen Tony act like this, ever. If anything he encouraged rancy behaviour.

"And skip!" Tony pressed the forward button rather fervently.

"What?" Clint said, leaning forward. "It was just getting on!" Natasha threw a pillow at his head, as Tony glared at him.

"Ha! Your namesake died!" Peter sing-songed as he pushed Tony's shoulder. "Watch it, Parker! I still haven't gotten you back for that facade with the silly string!"

"You got him with silly string?" Bruce said gleefully, as Tony looked at him in betrayal.

"Yep." Peter said, gripping the blankets around him while grinning.

"I thought we had something Bruce."

That night, Captain America landed down in a borrowed bed, righteous and true. In the morning, however, Steve Rogers woke up, stretched and prepared to go for a run. Walking into the main communing area, and seeing Peter and Tony, curled up in Peter's Iron-Man blanket on the couch, with ruffled hair and tangled limbs, Steve smiled sadly and reconsidered that moment with the pen as his teammates watched the mess that has caused the Accords, he realised he'd forgotten why he'd saved people.

He saved _people,_ beautiful, wonderful people like Peter, who were smart, funny and just a bit hot headed. He saved them from monsters, sometimes themselves. He thought he was saving Tony from himself, he realised. He saved people from billionaires, people who only care about themselves and their cars.

Maybe sometimes, the billionaires needed saving too.


End file.
